


Where We Began

by wrong_anti



Category: Video Blogging RPF, jacksepticeye, markiplier - Fandom
Genre: Danti - Freeform, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-03
Updated: 2019-02-26
Packaged: 2019-08-17 05:40:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16510400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wrong_anti/pseuds/wrong_anti
Summary: After escaping the lab where he'd been experimented on, an amnesic Anti struggles to fit in with the real world as he attempts to regain his memories and take down the scientist that ruined his life.





	1. A new start

"LET ME GO!" An electronic screech sounded through the hallways of an uninhabited warehouse. The walls were crumbling and windows boarded up. Bugs and spiders crawled through cracks in the ceiling, making their nests in the broken holes. Lights flickered on and off without a rhythm. The words echoed around the building but reached nobody's ears. Except for the pale figure of a hooded man. His eyes glinted a murky yellow as he stared at his 'creation': A 28-year-old man with dark circles under his eyes, fluorescent green hair and eyes, two large grey-green horns, and a tail with pale green hair ragged at the end. A demon. 

The hooded man smiled to himself as he admired his work. The demon struggled against his restraints, the chains clanking together and echoing through the warehouse. His tail felt heavy and strange. Unnatural. His head felt heavier, weighed down by the new mass on either side. Unnatural. His eyes stung and he screwed them together, wishing the pain away, but it only released black tears. Unnatural.

A sob escaped his lips, his throat raw from his protests. Everything ached to the point where it didn't. Pain was all he'd felt for the past 2 months, and he felt sure the crazy hooded figure that called itself a scientist wasn't done with him yet. He was an experiment, a little fun for the psychotic man in front of him. Most of his memories were gone, he barely remembered how he'd got in this situation, and he certainly didn't remember his name. 

The scientist walked slowly towards the demon, each footstep sounding through the building. Clattering joined the noise as he removed a set of keys from his pockets. Watching him carefully, the demon struggled to keep his eyes open. Up this close, he could see more of the scientist's features, how his eyes had hints of red and orange, light hairs framed his chin. The keys clattered more as they were brought up to the chains wrapped around the demon's wrists. Clicking and metal scraping against metal filled the room, followed by the loud crash of a padlock and many chain links falling to the concrete ground. Soon after, another padlock and more chains joined them.

The demon collapsed, unused to standing on his own feet for a long time. He shook from fear, hands trembling. His tail unconsciously wrapped around his body as he stared at his captor. He was too weak to do anything but sit there. The scientist didn't move, only stared back at the monster he'd created, a wicked fire filling his eyes.

"Get up." It whispered.

The green-haired experiment didn't move.

"Get. Up."

Again, the demon didn't move, but fear shot through his veins quickly joined by the physical pain of a steel-toed boot to the ribs. He was sent sprawling across the ground, clutching his likely-broken chest. 

"I said, GET UP!" The scientist screamed and this time the demon mustered as much power as possible to get onto his knees and slowly crawl to his feet. Once standing, the demon was still so much shorter and far less built than the scientist. He would never beat him in a fight. 

It felt strange to stand on his feet, it was as if he was a toddler learning to walk for the first time all over again. The hooded scientist nodded to himself, glancing all across his experiment, before laughing lightly.

"You are rather pathetic, aren't you?" He said.

Lost for words, the green demon stood in silence. It was probably a rhetorical question anyway.

"I'm sure you don't wish to annoy me anymore, and your screaming is very annoying, so I've let you go. You are not to leave this warehouse, you are not to call for help, you are not to be seen by anybody. Am I understood?" 

Nod.

"Good. From now on, I will refer to you as AJP114. Understood?"

Nod.

"Excellent. Feel free to explore your home. But remember, you try to escape and I will find you, and you will be killed without mercy. Understand?"

... Nod.

The scientist chuckled, before walking towards the room's exit. The demon immediately started looking for an exit, weapons, help, anything. He knew the danger he was in but frankly, if it was between being stuck here for the rest of his life, or death, he'd choose death without hesitation.

In his search, 'AJP114' found a desk. Maybe in there, he'd find a key or a gun. But upon opening it, all he found was files. So many files, all with similar titles to his name. 'DMP34', 'BEP67', 'EFP189', etc etc. Eventually he came upon his own. AJP114. Curiosity told him to open it, but fear told him that he'd be better off not knowing what's in there.

Curiosity won. Flicking through the pages of words and writing he didn't understand, the demon came across something of interest. The heading read 'AJP114' and underneath most of it was smudged, but the first words were 'Anti-Jack.' Anti-Jack. The demon was unsure what that meant. Was that his name? Jack? It felt wrong and like it belonged to someone else. It didn't belong to him. He needed another name, and AJP114 wasn't going to work for him.

Anti-Jack...

Anti...

He'd use that. It was a little strange for a name he had to admit but then again he was strange now. Horns, tail, fluorescent eyes. None of that was normal, so a name to suit was an obvious choice. Now all he needed was an escape. Glancing around the room, Anti found a window where the boards hung loosely on their nails.

That was it. That was his way out. And if he wanted to escape without being noticed, he'd need to go now when he was sure the scientist wasn't going to come back any time soon.

Taking his chance, Anti moved his weakened body as quickly and quietly as he could towards the window. Using all his force, he removed the boards from the window, but at the cost of throwing one across the room and causing it to crash loudly to the ground. There was no way in hell the scientist didn't hear that. He had to go, and now.

Flinging himself out the window, Anti sprinted across the dried fields behind the warehouse. His body screamed at him to stop, but he knew he couldn't. It was this temporary pain or permanent death. Behind him, Anti heard the loud cursing of the scientist. He wasn't far enough from the warehouse yet, and if the scientist looks out the window then Anti would be caught. He put a little more force into his run. All pain was forgotten, all wounds were nonexistent, all tears were dry. All that mattered was escaping and being free. Anti needed this. He needed an escape from 2 months of hell. He didn't know where he was going, or what he'd do when he got there, but he was putting as much distance between himself and that warehouse as possible. He felt sure the scientist was following him. After all, he was warned that if he escaped he'd be killed, but there was no going back now. He was committed to staying alive.

Anti was nearing the end of the field where a line of trees stood, hiding what was on the horizon. He could use that as cover so he wouldn't be so easily chased.

The trees grew closer and closer and the demon's determination was growing with every step he took. Soon, he was throwing himself through the forest, kicking up auburn leaves as he went. Taking one last look back, Anti couldn't see the scientist and prayed that he'd be safe to walk now because his body physically couldn't handle any more running. The scene in front of Anti was a complete contradiction to the situation. Golden leaves carpeted the ground and reflected the rays of sunlight that shone through the tree branches. Bluebells dotted the forest floor, their purple flowers standing out against the browns and yellows. It was like something out of a fairytale. But Anti knew the danger he was in and now was not the time to admire the scenery. 

Picking his way through bushes and low hanging branches, Anti could see the edge of the small forest. He didn't feel as though he'd been followed and he surely would've heard someone following him due to all the dried leaves they'd have to walk over. When he made it out the woods, Anti found himself in what he presumed to be a park or some kind of commercial garden. Buildings climbed into the sky in front of him, birds drifted across the sky or pecked the grass in the park. Groups of people sparsely filled the park, children were running around their parents, couples walked their dog's hand in hand, and even groups of teenagers sat peacefully. 

Anti walked further from the forest and into the park before hesitating. These were ordinary people. None of them would've known what he'd been through and they'd surely be terrified to see someone of his appearance. His clothes were ripped (and not in a fashionable way) and most of it was stained in blood. He had cuts all over his hands and, although he hadn't seen his reflection for weeks, his face probably didn't look too appealing either. Not to mention the two large horns on his head, the tail, and the glowing hair and eyes.

Now he was 'safe', Anti needed to do something. He needed to find someone who could help: the police perhaps. But what would they do? Lock him up in a mental asylum probably, or even send him back to the scientist. Who knows, maybe everything the scientist did was legal and under government supervision. As Anti had lost most of his memories and rational thinking, he was very unsure of himself.

Anti was completely lost now. Literally and figuratively. He had no idea what city he was in but also he had no idea what he was going to do. Sitting down on the grass, he held his head in his hands and groaned. What was he going to do? He needed help, somewhere to stay, someone to help him get his memories back or at least find out who he was before the scientist got him. He'd been told by the scientist that he was in the warehouse for 2 months which was his only way of knowing he was born a lab-rat because, beyond that, nothing existed in his memories.

"Are you alright?" A voice broke Anti's thoughts and he froze. Slowly looking in the direction of the voice, his green eyes met a pair of ocean blue. A brunette man stood above the demon looking both concerned and horrified. Anti stayed silent. The man crouched down to be eye level with Anti and examined his face, "What happened to you?"

Anti remained quiet. Something was familiar about this man, almost as if he knew him, but at the same time, something told Anti he'd never met him. Anti's tailed flicked subconsciously and the brunette's mood changed dramatically.

"What the hell? That's not... normal. What are you?" He said, standing up. Anti hesitated, unsure of what to say. This man was clearly worried about him but he didn't know if he could be trusted.

"I..." Anti started, pausing to collect his thoughts, "I've been told that I'm a... demon."

At this, the brown-haired man laughed, clutching his stomach, but when he realised that Anti was still sat completely emotionless he fell silent.

"Demons don't exist. But nice cosplay." Anti winced, his only chance at getting help and he'd messed it up. He didn't know what else he was supposed to say, but perhaps starting by calling himself a fantasy creature wasn't a great idea. But he'd started this conversation and he was desperate.

"Maybe not. I'm actually some kind of science experiment... I escaped the warehouse where I was turned into whatever this is. But I also don't remember anything from before I was taken and I need help." Anti said, nervously staring at his feet, still sat on the grass.

The brunette thought Anti's words over, trying to decide whether to send him to the hospital or the circus. He decided against both.

"I'll help you. As long as you tell me exactly what the fuck is going. But first, what's your name?" He held out his hand for Anti.

"Anti." He said, taking the brunette's hand and hoisting himself off the ground.

"Anti... That's weird. You're not- Actually, nevermind." Anti felt insulted that he'd called his name weird even though he knew himself that it was strange. The brunette continued before Anti could say anything, "I'm Sean, but you can call me Jack. It's nice to meet you. We should head to my house and get you cleaned up. We can take the back streets to avoid people since you don't look exactly the nicest right now."

Jack. That was the name on the folder. Was it possible he knew this man? But Sean didn't seem to recognise him... Anti shook his head, it's probably a coincidence. And besides, Jack's his nickname, if he really had anything to do with this man then surely the folder would've said Anti-Sean.

Sean led Anti down the quietest streets he could find to avoid people seeing him. Fortunately, it had just gone Halloween so it could've easily passed off as a really gruesome costume. But of course, people still stared and Anti was flustered and very self-conscious once they'd got to Sean's house.

They spent the next two hours fixing Anti's wounds and finding him cleaner clothes. Anti filled Sean in on everything he knew, from his first memory of the warehouse, the experiments, the pain, the abuse, how he was finally allowed to be free of the chains, how he escaped the warehouse, and how he found himself in the park where they met. 

Anti didn't tell Sean how the scientist threatened his life if he escaped, and how he was quickly caught escaping. Or that he was probably being hunted down right that minute.


	2. This is so confusing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight gore/blood mention?

Jack was woken up by a sickening, high-pitched scream. It took him a few seconds to work out where the scream came from, soon remembering the events of yesterday and meeting Anti. After cleaning the blood off his face yesterday, Jack realised Anti was somehow linked to him due to their shockingly similar looks. Anti soon realised this too after looking at himself in the mirror. Neither spoke about it.

Throwing the covers off him, Jack took off towards the guest room in which Anti was staying. He quickly opened the door, fearing what he might see on the other side. What if the scientist had found him? How would he protect Anti or himself?

Luckily, there was no scientist. There was, however, a pale Anti sat hyperventilating, drops of sweat clearly visible on his forehead. Blood dripped down his chin and Jack noticed for the first time that Anti's canines were considerably larger and sharper than what's natural.

Anti slowly looked at Jack with wide, fear-stricken eyes, his breathing still heavy. He didn't move from his position or say anything, so Jack walked closer and sat on the edge of the bed next to him.

"It's just a nightmare," Jack reassured Anti, rubbing circles into his back.

Anti's breathing was uneven as he tried to calm himself, feeling his heartbeat in his ears. He'd dreamt about the warehouse, the scientist, the experiments and everything that had happened the day before. But he'd also dreamt that he never made it to the park, he was caught by the scientist and brought back to the lab, he was experimented on further. The experiment was to see how long the body could if you remove vital organs, and Anti had seen his own insides lying on the floor in a bloody mess in front of him. It may have been a dream but Anti felt sick just thinking about it.

Tears rushed down his cheeks and Anti coughed from the lump in his throat. Jack continued to comfort him silently and even though it was 2 am, he was willing to sit there all night with the demon if that's what it took for him to feel better.

He didn't know why but Jack felt a strong connection to Anti, like a brotherly bond that couldn't be broken by anything. Anti felt it too, but neither knew why it existed, they didn't know of each other's existence until yesterday. Jack wanted to protect his demon twin from the scientist, but he wasn't sure what he'd actually be able to do if they were attacked. The Irishman had zero combat training and he'd only ever seen boxing on TV. Anti was far too frail to fight back against the scientist, he nearly has panic attacks just thinking about him.

A short sigh broke the tense silence and Anti finally relaxed, allowing himself to forget his nightmare. His body still ached from his experience at the warehouse, but Jack had patched him up the best he could and Anti was starting to feel better. But nothing was going to make him forget everything that had happened to him, he was going to die with the trauma whether he liked it or not.

After fully calming down, Jack persuaded Anti back to sleep, this time leaving both their doors cracked open with the hall light on to help prevent any further night terrors. Jack struggled to sleep with any form of light, but for his new friend, he was willing to at least try.

 

Morning came peacefully. The demon managed to fall asleep quickly and slept dreamless, much to the surprise and relief of Jack. At 9:23 that morning, Anti went downstairs and found the Irishman making two mugs of coffee and a food Anti either hadn't seen or didn't remember.

"What's that?" He asked, pointing to the toaster.

Jack looked confusedly at the demon before answering, "Eggos. Or toaster waffles."

Anti shrugged his shoulders, gaining some vague memory of eating the doughy food, and sat at the breakfast bar. Jack passed him his coffee and food and they sat in a welcome silence. Both thought back to the day before, how Anti was lucky to have so easily escaped the scientist. Although, Jack did worry about why it had been so easy. Surely the scientist would have had precautions in place if he really didn't want the demon to escape. And why had he let Anti out of the restraints in the first place? He must've not been thinking, or wanted Anti to escape. Jack shuddered at the thought.

Once they'd finished their breakfast, Jack stacked the dishes by the sink and made a mental note to wash them later. He turned to Anti, about to make a suggestion for what they could do that day before realising he had no videos in queue and desperately needed to record one in time to send to his editor, Robin, before 5 pm that night. He sighed guiltily.

"I need to work today, so we can't do anything. But you can take this time to relax or do some much-needed thinking." Jack suggested, going on to mention Netflix shows and movies Anti could watch. 

Thankfully, Anti agreed that he just needed to relax so while Jack was loudly making a video in his recording room, the demon flicked through various comedies and horrors before settling on classic Friends.

 

Jack was recording Prop Hunt all afternoon with his friends Mark, Bob and Wade. There was a lot of laughing, inappropriate jokes and overall confusion and by the end it, Jack hoped he had enough footage to suffice for a video. He quickly sent the file to Robin and prayed it would be up in time for his usual schedule.

Bob and Wade said they had other business to attend to, so that left Jack and Mark in the call together.

"So, you prepared to have good ol' Markimoo staying at your humble abode in a couple of days?" The American asked.

"What?" Jack racked his brain to figure out what Mark was going on about.

"I'm staying at yours remember? 'Cause we have that thing? You really forgot? I'm offended!" Mark laughed at the Irishman's forgetfulness.

"Sorry, man. Stuff just got it the way is all! But yeah I'm totally ready to show you the rainy sights of Brighton!" 

Jack was, in fact, not totally ready to show Mark the rainy sights of Brighton. In all honesty, he had no idea what he was going to do. They'd been planning this for months but now Anti was in the picture. He couldn't exactly tell Mark about Anti, he'd freak out. But he couldn't kick the demon out for two weeks either.

Mark had to know. It was the only way this was going to work, and there's no time like the present.

"Uh, Mark." Jack chuckled nervously, "Actually, I gotta tell you something, in case you change your mind about coming to visit."

Mark didn't respond but instead contemplated what Jack could be about to tell him. Only one thing came to his mind and he really didn't want that to be true.

"I have... a friend staying over." Mark gave a sigh of relief, much to Jack's confusion.

"A friend? Who?" The 29-year-old American asked.

Jack froze for a second, unsure of how to tell Mark in a way which would make it believable, "Okay, you aren't gonna believe me on this -trust me, I still can't- but his name is Anti-"

"Anti!?" Mark interrupted, laughing loudly through the speakers.

"Yeah. I told you, you wouldn't believe me. But it's true. Please listen to me." Mark quietened down at the desperation and seriousness in the Irishman's tone, "He said he escaped from a mad scientist who did crazy experiments on him. His real name isn't Anti, but he doesn't remember much about himself. And yes, he does look like me."

Mark was silent for a long time, thinking over his friend's words. He started chuckling to himself. 

"Alright Jackaboy, now say 'Psych'." He said, still chuckling uncertainly.

"I'm not joking, Mark. I know you won't believe me, but don't freak out when you turn up at my house and find a pale demon on my sofa." Jack said, trying to sound as honest as possible.

After a few awkward seconds of laughing, the two friends said their goodbyes and ended the call. Jack put his computer on sleep and went to look for Anti. He'd been recording for 3 hours so he hoped Anti wasn't too lonely or lost in negative thoughts.

The green-haired man was found splayed across the sofa, watching an episode of Friends. He looked like he hadn't moved from his position for hours, but Jack assumed he was well practised at that after being chained in place for 2 months.

Knowing he needed to warn Anti of Mark's arrival in a few days, Jack cleared his throat. Anti looked up at him and paused the video.

"I forgot to mention I have a friend staying over in a few days," Jack says.

Anti looks at him with many emotions crossing his expression from confusion to fear to sadness.

"He's a good friend, and I tried to tell him about you, y'know, just as a warning. But he didn't believe me." Sighed the Irishman.

"He's gonna think I'm weird. I might give him a heart attack. Maybe I should just find somewhere else to sta-"

"No! You can stay here! If anything, Mark would be the one going to a hotel instead. I really think you two would get along. After the initial shock, of course." Jack tried to reassure the demon. In return, he got a sorry nod and Anti went back to watching his episode, only this time he wasn't really paying attention, more lost in thought than the scene in front of him.

Jack felt bad for doing this to Anti, but he didn't know any way around it. Besides, it could be good to have someone else know about Anti. That way he wouldn't have to keep it such a secret, at least he'd be able to talk to Mark about it. But could that be dangerous? Dragging other people into this could make them a target for the scientist, and Jack wasn't anywhere near prepared for whatever that lunatic had to offer.

In the meantime, Jack needed to prepare for Mark's arrival. He'd be here in a few days and since Anti is staying in the room Jack originally set up for Mark, he would have to clear out the second guest room, which was currently filled with boxes of stuff he didn't know what to do with.

On his way to the guest room, Jack heard his phone beep. An email. At first, he was going to shrug it off as something he'd look at later, but the subject name caught his attention.

_Bring him back. Or I'll do to you what I did to him._

The Irishman felt chills down his spine and opened the email, only to find it was blank. The sender was simply named _'you know who'_ and this didn't help Jack's panic at all. The email address was... non-existent, which didn't make sense. 

"Definitely a weird scientist hack" Jack said to himself, before deleting the email and pretending to himself that it didn't exist. He wouldn't tell Anti about this or it would just freak him out.

After an hour the guest room was free of boxes and ready for Mark's arrival. Jack checked the time.

6:27 pm.

Heading downstairs, Jack knew he needed to get dinner for himself and Anti. Personally, he wasn't bothered about what to eat that night so he went to ask Anti what he wanted. Inside the living room, Jack expected to find a nonchalant fluorescent demon lying on his sofa. What he found was far worse.

Black slime covered the floor, walls and hung from the ceiling. The TV was splattered, the sofa ripped as if a wild animal had attacked it, the TV remote lost to the black substance. The slime grouped in a clump hanging from the lamp and several strings of goo. The shape was vaguely human-sized and cocoon-like. Anti was nowhere to be seen but Jack had a hunch at where he was.

"A-Anti!" Jack called. The goo cocoon squirmed slightly, "What the hell is this...?"

Jack didn't know whether the slime was made of acid and if it would hurt if he touched it, but Anti seemed to be in trouble so he was going to have to risk it. He gently lowered one foot towards the slimed floor, his Adidas trainer touching it. After no obvious reaction, the Irishman felt safe enough to walk through it and slowly picked his way towards Anti.

He had no idea how he was going to get the demon out of this mess, but he had to try. For all he knew, Anti could be suffocating. 

Once he was less than a metre away from the cocoon, Jack reached a shaky hand towards it. Quick as lightning, clawed fingers wrapped around his wrist and he screamed, struggling against it. Realising it was Anti's hand, he cautiously tried to pull him out of the slime. Slowly, the goo gave way and Jack was sent flying backwards, Anti free of the encasing. 

He expected to find himself sat in a puddle of sludge, but when he landed on the living room floor, he was met by carpet. The demon thudded onto the floor next to him, nearly unconscious.

 _What the hell just happened?_ Jack asked himself silently. The goo was gone without a trace in the blink of an eye. But right now, Anti was the most important thing.

"Anti, are you okay? What the hell was that?" Jack helped the demon sit up.

Anti took a while to respond, still dazed by the affair, heaving from oxygen loss.

"I... I dunno. I felt... sick. Then this stuff just appeared from all around me, submerging me into darkness. I couldn't breathe or hear or anything. I thought the scientist had found me. I thought I was dead." The green-haired man coughed most of the words.

They sat in silence, thinking over what had just happened. There was no way that slime could just disappear like that. Jack had only shut his eyes for a second and it was gone. Anti was pretty messed up from it, physically and mentally. He looked exhausted, his hair sticking out in all directions, and Jack knew this wasn't helping calm his nerves after two months of trauma.


	3. New people

Jack was not ready. Mark had just texted him saying he was two minutes away and Jack was in no way prepared for this. He paced the living room, running a hand through his hair trying to think of any last minute solutions to the situation. Anti sat on the sofa boredly gazing at his doppelganger.

"If it's really that bad, I can go somewhere else. I don't know where, but I don't want to cause any trouble." The demon said, causing the Irishman to stop in tracks.

"No. No way. I said you could stay so you're staying. I already tried to tell Mark about you and he didn't believe me but he will have to now. As long as he doesn't have a heart attack, of course." Jack faintly muttered the last part.

Anti sighed, knowing how deadset Jack was on keeping him here. Whether it was because he actually wanted his demon twin to stay or he just wanted to hide him from the rest of the world, Anti didn't know. He wouldn't be surprised if it was the latter considering his terrifying appearance.

A hollow knock sounded throughout the house and Jack shuddered. He left his pacing and walked down the hallway towards the front door. A silhouette was visible through the window and Jack immediately recognised it as his American friend. 

Clasping his fingers around the handle, Jack sheepishly opened the door to reveal an ecstatic Markiplier. He felt himself being dragged into a slightly desperate hug and Jack laughed before hugging his friend back.

"I've missed you so much!" Mark exclaimed after releasing Jack. Uttering his agreement, the Irishman reached for one of Mark's bags and led him inside. 

He still wasn't prepared for Mark meeting Anti and he was silently praying to himself that it goes alright. He felt sure Anti was feeling the same way. The demon had been fretting about this moment ever since Jack told him about Mark staying over. After placing Mark's bags by the stairs, Jack chuckled nervously and wrung his hands together. 

"Do you remember what I said a few days ago?" The Irishman asked.

"I remember some joke about Anti." 

Sighing, Jack beckoned for Mark to follow him into the living room. What they were met with made the taller man gasp. Confused thoughts and doubts instantly filled his head as he stared at the green-haired, horned and tailed man sat on Jack's sofa.

"No, this can't be real. This is just some kind of well-made joke." Mark whispered, to himself more than anyone else.

Anti sunk into the cushions, wishing he could disappear. He stared at his hands in his lap and refused to look at the stranger.

"It's not a joke, Mark. I tried to tell you. It's really confusing and I still don't really know how it happened but Anti, or at least some version of Anti, is real. I'll tell you about it properly later." Jack reasoned and while his friend still didn't fully believe this was happening, he was willing to try and accept that Jack wasn't messing around.

Anti shifted his position, catching the others' attention.

"Oh, right. I guess I should probably introduce you two properly. Anti this is my good friend, Mark, and Mark this, as you already know, is Anti." At this, the green-haired man finally made eye contact with Mark and give him a small, pained smile. After all, it wasn't every day someone told you you were a joke, made to tease and confuse somebody else. He knew Mark didn't mean to offend the demon but he couldn't help feeling a little hurt.

Jack gestured for Mark to sit down and for the next half hour, he explained how he'd met Anti in the park and that he was an escaped amnesiac science experiment. Anti didn't speak a word, only nodded on occasion or hummed his agreement. He kept his head down and his hands in his lap.

Mark was still confused and unsure of whether or not to believe anything Jack had told him, but he tried to accept it anyway. He didn't really understand Anti though, the demon's quietness made him uneasy. It was like he held a million secrets behind those fluorescent glowing eyes, just like Mark held his own.

Finally, Jack had caught Mark up to date with everything that had happened, minus the goo experience from a few days before. He'd only tell the American about that if absolutely necessary.

It was still early so the two YouTubers decided to fit in a collab before it got too late, leaving Anti to do what he'd done a lot of recently: Watch TV. He didn't mind, he understood how Jack's job was important and that he'd have to spend a lot of time alone while staying at the coffee-haired man's house. He'd also been left with a laptop but whenever he turned it on he found he had no idea what to look up since the internet couldn't answer his questions, and he had no intention of creating or using a social media account. He preferred TV because it was so much simpler and it helped him grasp an understanding of the world he'd forgotten.

Jack's recording room was right above the living room so Anti could easily hear the two men laughing with each other and Anti felt pained by some feeling of... longing? Jealousy? He must've had friends before he was taken by the scientist, someone he could've joked with like Jack and Mark. He wondered if his friends, family, anyone, missed him or tried to search for him. He wondered how long he'd been held captive, and whether he'd changed much since his original life. He was sure he had. Beyond having horns and a tail, of course.

Anti didn't know when he'd get his memory back, or if he'd get it back. Or if he even wanted his memories back. For all he knew, his life could've been horrifying. But the curious side of him wanted to know, it wanted to know why the scientist took him, and whether he could've prevented it. Maybe he didn't even exist until a few months ago and the scientist had just created him somehow. Although, that made very little sense considering he had vague feelings of being a child and a teenager, but no absolute memories so he couldn't be certain. Turning the volume up, Anti allowed himself to be distracted by the Netflix show that was playing. He did this for the next two hours, no more depressive thoughts finding their way into his consciousness.

At some point, Jack and Mark finished recording and sorted Mark's room out. They came downstairs to find Anti exactly where they'd left him, only this time he was spread across the entire sofa, half asleep.

"Anti." Jack almost whispered, as not to spook the demon. In reply Anti hummed, sat up and looked at his twin. Jack noticed his eyes were a little swollen and red, suggesting he'd been crying. He made a mental note to ask him about it later.

For now, though, it was 6:30 pm and they needed to eat, "We're gonna order some food. D'you want anything?"

"Sure." Anti's voice was scratchy, "I'll just have whatever you're having."

Jack ordered pizza, avoiding the ham and pineapple option as to stop Mark causing a scene. Although now he was curious about his demon twin's opinion on the topping. He'd try that some other time. When the food arrived all three sat at the table and Mark was oddly quiet.

"Mark? Is something wrong?" The Irishman asked.

Mark shook his head and contemplated his words, and after a long pause he spoke, "I think I need to tell you something. Both of you."

Anti was confused as to what this man had to say to him so he stayed silent and listened.

"I wasn't going to tell you this, or anybody for that matter since he asked me not to." Mark paused again to look at Jack and Anti, "But Anti isn't the only one."

The two lookalikes shared a confused glance before Mark continued, "Dark is real too."

Neither Jack or Anti said anything, neither knew whether Mark was joking or telling the truth. How could Dark be real? And was he like Anti, a science experiment? Anti didn't know who 'Dark' was, but Anti assumed from the context that he was like him. The demon felt a little hope rise in his chest.

"I've known him for years, a little before I started my channel. The Dark in those videos was based off him as a way for me to vent about it all because I literally can't tell anyone that he exists." Mark said, Anti and Jack hanging onto his words.

Jack eventually spoke up, "Why couldn't you tell anyone?"

Mark took his time to reply but soon found an appropriate response to his friend's question, "He didn't want me to. No one would believe me anyway, and I couldn't trust anyone enough not to tell the government or something."

The Irishman understood this and he felt glad to share a mindset with his friend. 

"Where did Dark come from? Maybe this could help us find out what's going on." Jack asked.

Shaking his head, Mark replied, "He won't tell me. I've asked so many times but all he ever tells me is that he used to be different from how he is now, a human rather than... a demon. I don't know where he came from or even if he remembers."

Anti still felt hopeful, he'd have someone he could talk to that would actually understand what happened to him, maybe even help him. What if Dark had forgotten his past too, but then got his memories back? What if he could help Anti get his memories back?

"Can we meet him?" Jack asked.

"Sure. He actually came down here with me, but he was staying in a hotel. He's learned to blend in with everyday people now, despite his glowing red hair and eyes, so I thought it was safe enough. Besides, I don't like leaving him alone for too long." Mark explained, chuckling slightly at the last part.

Mark went off to make a phone call to, presumably, Dark, leaving Jack and Anti alone.

"So, this could be good. Maybe we'll find out exactly what happened to you." Jack stated and Anti nodded his head in agreement.

The demon's only issue was his confidence. He could barely have a normal conversation with Jack (who he'd known for a good few days already), let alone this stranger named Dark.

Returning hurriedly, Mark announced that Dark would be arriving in approximately 5 minutes and Anti started to feel panicky. He'd already met one new person today and he wasn't sure he could handle another. He mentally prepared himself to soldier on through it.

All three of them sat in silence (except for the occasional drumming of fingers) waiting for a knock on the door. The atmosphere was heavy with excitement and anxiety, mostly from Anti who was considering jumping out the window and running away. He stayed put.

The knock soon came and Jack immediately stood up to answer the door. Mark went with him and Anti was alone. Now would be the perfect, and only, chance for him to run away. But curiosity made him stay. He wanted to meet Dark, as frightened as he was. To stop himself from running, he forced himself to follow Mark to the door.

Jack had already opened the door by the time he arrived, and standing in the frame was a tall, red-haired, red-eyed man in a leather jacket and grey jeans with a striking resemblance to Mark. Dark.


	4. A little less, a little more

The scene was... a mess. Anti was in a curled up ball on the sofa, Jack was rubbing circles into his back comfortingly, Mark was shaking his head and sighing, and Dark was standing, arms crossed, emotionless. Black flowed from Anti's eyes like venomous tears, staining his grey hoodie sleeve. He wasn't crying, although he was upset, this was something slightly different. And it was Dark's fault.

Jack had invited the red-haired man into his house and Mark had introduced everyone swiftly and smoothly. Dark was immediately noted by Jack and Anti as cold and lacking any form of emotions. He also had an air of superiority about him but neither knew why. He spoke slowly and with importance. Anti took this as an intimidation technique and it definitely worked.

Mark could tell his doppelganger was acting strange, he knew he always spoke with importance and never joked around but this was odd, even for Dark. He seemed as if he was hiding something.

After the quick introductions, Dark said that he wanted to speak to Anti in private. Never had the already-pale demon gone paler. He hadn't actually spoken to the older man, only nodding his hello's, and he wasn't sure if he could handle being alone in a room with him. 

Somehow Anti found himself agreeing and following the red-haired demon into the living room. As Dark closed the door, Anti's throat went numb and his stomach started doing turns and flips, his hands shaking so much that he had to shove them in his pockets to stop Dark from noticing. He didn't know exactly what made him feel this way, but he was sure it had something to do with being trapped in a room with a practically soulless demon he'd only just met who was stood much closer to the door than him.

"So, Mark tells me you're in a similar situation to what I was a few years ago." Dark said and Anti just nodded, earning a small sigh from the older demon, "He didn't tell me exactly what happened, only that you have lost most of your memories."

Again, Anti nodded, knowing that's his cue to start explaining his story to this other demon, but his throat was too dry and his brain stopped reminding him how to talk. He stayed silent and looked at his feet. 

Dark's intense gaze bore into Anti's skull and he could practically feel his impatience. Still, Anti remained silent. His throat was sore and his breathing became increasingly more difficult.

"You're not going to tell me? I can't help you if I don't know what happened." Dark said, irritation lacing his words. Anti flinched slightly which brought pain to his chest, stopping his breathing for just a second. That second led to Anti coughing for air, his entire body felt numb.

The world around him started to spin and blur, black coloured the corners of his eyes and leaked down his cheeks. His lungs felt heavy and broken; his heartbeat loud in ears; his knees shook and he wasn't sure whether he was standing or not; he could hear screaming, loud and high pitched.

"Anti!" The demon blinked, his vision still blocked at the edges. Jack was holding his shoulders, fear shadowing his face. They were both on the floor- when had that happened? 

Mark was standing close, but not too close, and carefully watching the demon, worry reflected in his eyes. Dark was stood in the doorway, his expression giving away nothing.

Jack spoke again, this time more quietly, "What was that? Are you okay?"

Anti nodded for the umpteenth time that day but this was the first time he didn't mean it. He wasn't okay and he had no idea what had happened. His hoodie was covered in blotchy dark marks and after wiping his face with his sleeve, he realised his cheeks were too.

Taking him by surprise, Jack pulled Anti into a hug and he found himself quickly wrapping his arms around his sides and burying his face into the Irishman's chest. He didn't cry, he didn't feel like he needed to, but the friendly gesture was enough.

Jack slowly stood up and led Anti to the sofa where the demon made himself as small as possible by dragging his knees to his chest and hiding his face in them. Jack sat right by him and did his best to silently comfort the demon.

Mark glared at Dark as if to say 'What the hell did you do?' and in response, the red-haired man glared back. This could've meant one of two things and Mark wasn't willing to bet on either.

Anti eventually uncurled himself and leant into Jack's side. He wiped his face with his sleeve again and further stained it with the black mess that covered him. Jack was confused and concerned by the fact that his friend was crying black 'tears'.

"It's poison." Is all Dark had to say for everyone to turn their attention to him, "You said there was a scientist. I'm sure he would've tried to modify Anti's blood by injecting some sort of chemical into it."

"Why would he do that?" Jack asked, suddenly terrified for Anti's health.

Dark shook his head, "For a number of reasons. To get his blood to pump faster and therefore bring oxygen around his body quicker, to his muscles quicker, to make him faster or stronger. Or perhaps as a way of killing him if he ran away. He'd have another chemical which would balance it and if it's not balanced eventually then Anti could become seriously ill."

Silence once again filled the room, but it was a far heavier atmosphere than before. The scientist had tried to turn Anti into a super being, or he'd known that his creation would've tried to escape and if the chemicals in his blood aren't balanced he might die.

"I don't get it," Anti finally spoke, shocking Dark and Mark, "That didn't feel like poison. It just felt like I couldn't breathe and then all of a sudden everything went black."

Dark nodded his head and thought for a second, "The black tears are definitely poison, but I think you were having some kind of... panic attack?" 

Jack hummed his agreement and gave his demon twin a pained look. Anti had been pushed too far today, with meeting two new people and immediately being locked a room with one of them (the scarier of the two). There was no surprise he'd had a panic attack.

Anti muttered something about needing to be alone and left the room with his head down. No one tried to follow him but everyone felt guilty for giving him a panic attack. Everyone but Dark. He wasn't going to waste his energy on feeling sorry for a man he'd just met and had no connection with.

For the next few hours Dark gave Jack and Mark his view on Anti's situation and they considered different ways to help him if he did or didn't get his memories back. They wanted to find the scientist and do... something to him. They couldn't get him arrested because they had no charges against him since showing Anti to the police could be dangerous for him, and killing the scientist felt way too evil, even if he had hurt Anti.

By the end of it, they'd come to the conclusion that Dark would stay at Jack's in case anything more happened to Anti - he somehow seemed to know an awful lot about the demon already. Jack and Mark's plans for the two weeks had completely changed, instead of making videos and recording skits, they were going to focus on helping Anti in any way they could.

By 4 pm Dark excused himself to the bathroom. On the way, he saw several rooms but only one with the door closed. He assumed that was the one Anti was staying in.

Tapping gently on the wooden door, Dark waited for a response. He heard shuffling from inside and then footsteps. The door creaked open and Anti poked his head around the corner when he saw Dark fear jumped into his mind.

"It's alright, I'm not here to hurt or threaten you." Dark was surprisingly calm and understanding.

Anti stepped out of the way and opened the door enough for Dark to fit through. When Dark entered, though, he didn't close it fully.

"Are you okay? I'm sorry for being so forward earlier. I hadn't considered that you would be frightened by strangers." To this, Anti nodded his head and gave Dark a genuine smile. He still didn't have the confidence to say anything with just the other demon around, but he wanted to try.

"I, um," He stuttered, the heavy feeling in his chest returned. He swallowed the lump in his throat and continued, "It wasn't your fault. I know you wouldn't hurt me, I just don't know who I can trust at the moment."

Dark gave the smaller demon a look of understanding. He knew what it felt like to be broken by someone and to feel like everyone's against you. He didn't want Anti to think of him as a threat so he was going to try his best to be there for Anti, even if he usually struggled to empathise or sympathise with others.

"We're going to find this scientist. I don't care how long it takes, I will find him. And when I do I'm going to make sure he gets what he deserves." A red fire glowed behind Dark's eyes, and when Anti glanced up, a similar passion reflected in his own: he wanted this revenge.

"Thanks... I don't know why you want to help me, I mean, you don't even know me..." Anti muttered, fiddling with his hands.

Dark shrugged, "I've never met someone like me before. Our situations aren't the same but some of the feelings are. I don't want you to go through what I had to."

The demon's words confused Anti but he chose not to ask. Dark clearly had something he was hiding and maybe one day he'd get to find out, but he didn't want to be nosey. It wasn't his business anyway.

A long moment of awkward silence came and Anti thought he'd be dead before it ended, but Dark nodded Anti a goodbye and left the room abruptly.

There was definitely something Dark was keeping to himself, so many secrets, but Anti was willing to let them tell themselves in due time. He hoped they would anyway because he really wanted to know what deep mysteries the red-haired demon held. Although, he wasn't entirely sure why.

He shook his head and grabbed the laptop Jack had given him. He found that, for some reason, it was already on. The only thing open was a Google search for-

 

_A bird may fly south for winter, but it always finds its way back home. I'm waiting, AJP114._


	5. See you soon

No one had seen Anti for hours.

Jack called him down for dinner at 6 pm and when there was no response he checked the demon's room only to find it empty. What he did see, though, was the window wide open and letting in the chilling breeze.

The Irishman had rushed downstairs and explained to his two other guests that Anti was missing. Mark was about as panicked as Jack, while Dark remained heartless and stone-faced.

Currently, all three were wandering the streets in search of the demon. After everything that had happened prior that day, everyone was incredibly worried about Anti (even Dark, to some extent). He was weak and scared, not to mention he had poison running through his veins which could eat him from the inside out like acid.

Dark was searching down some of the dirty back alleys in hopes of finding the green-haired man. So far no luck, not even a _hint_ as to where he could be. Still, he continued looking. He was determined to find Anti, but he wasn't exactly sure why.

Soon the red demon was headed further out of the city. Surely Anti couldn't have gone this far? Although, no one knew how long Anti had been gone before Jack discovered he was missing from his room. 

What led him to leave, though? Dark had spoken to him and while he seemed a little shaken up, he looked to be generally okay. He sighed and decided to end his search there. It was nearly 9 pm and it would be useless searching for someone in the shadows of nighttime. If only Jack had gotten around to buying him a phone, then they might've had a better chance at finding the demon.

Dark told himself that if Jack and Mark had as little luck at finding Anti as he had, then tomorrow he'd restart his search for the younger demon.

As the red-haired demon retraced his steps back to Jack's house, a little more than a hundred metres away, Anti lurked in an alleyway. His hair was clumped with a black ink-like substance, similar to that of which he had coughed up earlier that day. It stained his cheeks and neck like tear trails, and his hoodie was dyed around the sleeves. He didn't know where he was. He had no idea how to get back to Jack's house and he was scared. The scientist could get him out here, and no one would notice. He could scream, but no one would get to him in time. He was a goner and he knew it. It felt like someone was watching him, following him, preying on him.

He broke into a run, his heavy footsteps hammering through the city streets. Streetlights flashed his vision as he ran, passing cars, people, houses, shops. Eventually, he couldn't run anymore, his calf muscles were on fire. He slowed to a stop, leaning against a wall and heaving to catch his breath, clutching his ribs.

A distant crashing caught the demon's attention. He followed the direction of the noise which led him across the busy road to a low wall. Over the wall was a large, open space covered in stones and beyond that was... water. So much water. That was the ocean, right? He had vague memories of a body of water which wrapped all around the world. He made a mental note to ask Jack about it later.

The demon continued to follow the path parallel to the sea in hopes he'd find something he recognised that could help him get back to Jack's house. He felt the same feeling of something watching him and panic set in again. He bolted across the street, narrowly avoiding the beaming headlights of the cars speeding along. He passed the few people who were still wandering the city, shoving a few by accident when he couldn't control his pace. He ignored their furious scowls: he needed to get away.

His lungs burnt and he couldn't breathe, forcing him to stop running once again. Hopefully, he'd gotten away from whatever it was that was watching him. He was losing himself again, feeling the inky-substance rising back into his throat, taking over his blood. He looked around, not recognising any buildings or street names. If he wasn't lost before, he _definitely_ was now.

"You thought that would help you? You thought you could just _run_ away from me?" A shrill, echoed voice surrounded Anti. He looked in every direction for the source of the voice but it seemed to come from everywhere.

"W- who are you? What do you want?" He managed to gasp, still out of breath from the running. 

A snickering sounded from behind him, "You don't remember me? Is your memory really that bad?" The voice came from the left of him, "It's me, your old friend." The noise came from the right.

Anti followed the voice each time, never seeing anyone.

"I'm right in front of you."

He turned back to look forward, expecting to see nothing but there was, in fact, a silhouetted figure down the far end of the street. It slowly drew closer, and Anti took a few cautious steps back. He was on his toes, ready to run in case he needed to.

As the figure came closer and the streetlamps lit up its features, Anti could see they were wearing a long white coat, a hood over their head, heavy boots clanging against the stone path.

"No. No no no!" Anti whispered to himself. He tried to run but his feet were glued to the ground.

"Recognise me now, AJP114?"

 

Dark's cold knuckles rapped against the glass of the door and almost immediately it opened. Jack looked hopefully past Dark's shoulders and his face fell when he realised Anti wasn't with him. He looked at the demon with a sorrowful expression which was returned with a frown.

"Nothing? Not even a trace?" The Irishman asked. Dark was shaking his head before the man even finished his sentence.

Internally, Jack was scolding himself. He shouldn't have left Anti on his own for so long right after the horrific event of him collapsing and coughing up black slime. Who knows where he was or what motivated him to leave, out a second-floor window no less.

The dark sky flashed blue, light reflecting off the clouds, quickly followed by a low rumble. It was going to rain soon and chances were Anti wasn't near anything that would keep him dry and warm. And who knew what Anti's reaction to thunder would be. Jack's concern increased by the second.

The two went into the kitchen where Mark was sat at the table checking various news sites and social media to see if anyone had seen Anti. Luckily or not, there wasn't anything so far. There was nothing more they could do but wait until morning to begin searching for him again, but how could they search an entire city? By morning Anti could be miles away. 

Jack joined Mark at the table, pushing his fingers through his hair. The American looked pityingly at him, wishing he could do more to help. Despite not knowing him for a long time, Jack still felt responsible for Anti and him being missing was having a huge toll on him.

 

Rumbling from both the sky and van filled Anti's ears. His hands were tied together with chains which were digging into his skin, tearing it. Every time the van swerved, he slammed into the side of the vehicle, bashing his head and slowly dragging him into unconsciousness. He forced himself to stay alert in case he missed his opportunity to escape the scientist.

He couldn't believe he'd been caught again. He'd left the safety of Jack's home in search of the scientist but he hadn't actually expected to find him and had no plan for what would happen if he did, and now he was here, trapped in the back of his enemy's van, driving to who knows where.

The van crawled to a stop, throwing Anti into the wall when the engine cut suddenly. The sound of footsteps outside the van told the demon the scientist was walking towards the back doors. They swung open, letting in minimal light from the night sky. Anti could barely see the scientist but he felt the van tip slightly as he clambered to get to the demon. He yanked the chains around his wrists, causing him to groan, forcing him to his feet.

"Come on, you disappointing piece of shit." He mumbled from beneath his mask. Anti refused to follow him out the van but soon found he had very little strength in comparison and was easily being dragged out the vehicle.

Outside, the chill hit Anti's cheeks, immediately making him wish he'd worn a coat. He couldn't see far in front of him due to the lack of light but he was willing to bet he was back at the warehouse. The scientist shoved him forward, forcing him to walk into the dark void. His feet stumbled and kicked various objects underfoot. Anti was discovering he had a slight fear of walking without vision.

Somehow Anti was easily navigated through what he assumed was a field. A large, dark mass slowly came into view, perfectly symmetrical and hideously unnatural. Squinting, he could see familiar smashed windows, boarded up by scrap pieces of chipboard. Creaking metal and howling wind were the only sounds besides the crunching of the frosted grass underfoot.

The demon could hear his heartbeat loud in his ears, his knees shook and he struggled to keep walking, despite the scientist's shoving. He was steered closer to the building and with every step he took, his anxiety grew.

After more hustling, Anti and the scientist stood in front of a large, rusted door. It groaned and screeched as it was forced open. Inside, the demon saw an oh-so-familiar scene: chains covered in rust, mold and God knows what other substances hung from the ceiling; various machines with various purposes scattered the room; a table laden with scalpels, syringes, vials and scissors sat in the middle of the room underneath a half-working spotlight and next to a pile of extra rusty and extra slimy chains.

"Welcome home, AJP114." The scientist said, slamming the door shut behind him, causing Anti to flinch.

"Don't call me that." The demon growled, earning a snicker from his enemy.

Anti was led further into the room, "Why, is there something else you'd like to be called?"

The demon could hear the mocking tone lacing the man's voice and he shook his head, to the scientist he was AJP114, not Anti. Just an experiment, undeserving of feeling like he belonged.

"Do you know why I called you 'AJP114'?" His question was met with silence but the scientist answered it anyway, "Because it stands for-"

"Anti-Jack. I know." Anti hissed. He hated the sound of the other man's voice, it was scratchy and raw, and there was something almost metallic about it. And it belonged to the man who tortured him for months and ruined his life.

Caught off guard, the scientist turned to look at Anti, although his hood hid his face from the demon, "You read the files? I did wonder why they were scattered around the desk. I should've known you'd be a nosey one. But, you are also forgetting that there is a P and a 114, would you not like to know what they mean?"

The green-haired man sighed, unsure of whether he wanted to know or not. If it was the scientist that wanted him to know, it probably wasn't good and might cause Anti to spiral into a worse mental state. He shook his head.

"114," He began, "one hundred and fourteen trials, one hundred and thirteen fails, and one... success." The tone used implied quotation marks around the word 'success'. Anti wasn't a success, he was a failure. Maybe not as big a failure as the last one hundred and thirteen, but a failure no less. A failure at _what_ though? What did this psycho think he'd gain from drilling horns into a man's skull, sewing a tail on, and injecting him with some ultra-scientific substance that made his eyes and hair glow. Anti had to admit, he was a little impressed that, while it still felt strange, he had control over his tail as if he'd been born with it.

After leaving the heavy weight of his words on Anti's shoulders, the scientist remained silent, continuing to lead him towards the centre of the room, towards the table of medical equipment next to the grisly chains. Upon closer inspection, the demon realised they weren't covered in slime but far worse: blood, and lots of it.

The chains rattled and clanged as the scientist picked them up, fiddling with the shackles, "I would've cleaned up but, well, this way it's like you never left. We can just forget about the past few days." He gestured to Anti and while the green-haired man didn't want to, he stood by the scientist's side, knowing that if he tried to run, it would only end horribly.

The shackles were roughly clamped around Anti's wrists and the scientist stood back to... admire what he'd done. The demon stood, trapped by the very same chains that were wrapped around him only a few days ago. He couldn't remember a day without them before he'd escaped the warehouse, and it looks like he'd be spending the rest of his life in them. It was like the past week never even happened.


End file.
